Spirit Fire
by Reevee21
Summary: A PMD story. Maddie wasn't expecting anything new or different over just another ordinary science trip out to sea. Boy was she wrong. She encounters an entire new continent unknown to mankind! But how will she get home? Will she even want to, with friends as close as family and her unusual job?
1. The Storm

**Spirit Fire**  
** a Mystery Dungeon story**

** If you've read Explorers of Digiworld, you'll notice that I don't explain much about my team other than we're a rescue team. So I wrote this book to explain!**

Prologue: Storm

I stuffed the last things I'd need into my suitcase and zipped it shut.  
My Pokémon, Quilava, was at my heels. He was a nice quilava, as the volcano Pokémon go, and bore a sky blue collar with a little silver bell.  
I loved him, he loved me. He was given to me as a Cyndaquil about a year ago, when I started my journey. I had plenty of other Pokémon, but I preferred to store most in the PC. Quilava was special to me.  
My room was on the second floor of a yellow brick mansion, and it had light blue paint and a queen-sized blue bed. I liked the color blue, in case you couldn't tell. The lamp was designed like an Altaria, and a few books were stacked on the side table with it. Two huge shelves were on the walls, chock-full of Pokémon information books and notebooks. I certainly had my father's blood.  
He was professor Pine of the Reeda region, and I was his daughter.  
I took the two suitcases and headed out, Quilava close behind. Mrs. Pine, my mother of course, was waiting with her Skuntank. Arceus knows why she likes that thing.  
"Hurry up," she encouraged, "the boat's leaving in an hour!"  
"Alright, alright!" I muttered. I threw the bags into the back of the car, Quilava jumped onto my seat.  
"All set?" Professor Pine asked.  
I shoved Quilava over and buckled up, "sure am!"

Perhaps I should introduce myself. I'm Maddie Pine.  
We were headed on a long trip out to sea, to examine a section of ocean. I forgot the exact explanation, but there were boats disappearing into it. Not a plank nor passenger ever returned. Fifteen patrol ships, four tour boats and a cruise liner had been lost.  
That's twenty boats with varying ammounts people and Pokémon on them.  
I hoped we weren't next.  
The speedy study boat whizzed past, spraying salt water and creating a thin mist. Quilava was underdeck. I didn't mind. I heard water felt like acid to a fire type when it was shot like this. My dad was under the deck too, looking on the radar for any sign of wreckage.  
He was more of a weather-type professor, although his main study was Pokémon. He said he wanted to be a weather scientist, but destiny lead him to this.  
I didn't mind. Either way, he was smart.  
Mom's Skuntank was standing next to me. I couldn't smell its odor when the air was full of salt, so I stroked its otherwise silky fur.  
The breeze turned to a strong wind. The sky was getting darker.  
"A storm!" I yelled gleefully over the motor. I loved storms. They brought rain, rain brought life, life brought…well, life. Plus, it smelled good. Yes, rain has a smell. I'm not crazy, rain has a smell! I swear it does!

The storm picked up pretty quick. Before I knew it, stuff was starting to fly off deck.  
So now I was under deck with Quilava, my parents and Skuntank. He hated the storm. Plus, the motion was starting to make his face green.  
That night, after eating some pork and beans that the crew brought aboard, I chose to sleep in the hammock. Quilava was on my chest, and the swaying motions were undetectable because the hammock swayed with them. It was made of thick netting and layered with a quilt.  
Just before I fell asleep, I heard a moaning. It sounded like a Wailord's song, but bigger, and more...female.  
I ran on deck to find out what it was. Quilava hesitatingly came with me to the slippery deck.  
My robe was drenched and he didn't look happy. But under the rampaging waves, I saw a huge, dark shadow. it had huge fins that resembled hands.  
"What the-"I started, the breath knocked out of me as it rammed into the ship. It sent it back a bit, and I was against the wall.  
The crew started running around like mad. The flashes of lightning illuminated a huge shape that smacked into the ship again and again.  
Water was starting to leak under deck. Huge waves as tall as small houses splashed over the boat, taking some of the crew with them. Just before dad could pull me to safety, I was washed away into the ocean.  
The salt stung my eyes and choked me. It was too dark to see anything, and I couldn't tell up from down. I fainted, tossed around like an old toy with the rampaging waters…


	2. Charred

**Chapter 1: Charred **  
**Third person POV**

The rising sun shed light onto the beach. A green, reptilian creature was surveying the seen.  
It had two dark green tail lobes and yellow, sharp eyes. It resembled a lizard.  
The Pokémon was sitting on a beach rock with a few binnacle quarrelling.  
"This has always been my favorite place," he sighed.  
He came from Evergrowth woods, a place overflowing with plant life-and grass Pokémon. He had left to settle in Treasure Town, a small town with friendly neighbors and a nearby guild.  
The guild.  
The mere sound of it sent a chill of excitement down his spine. Everyone wanted to be a part of that guild. Wigglytuff's guild was said to be very good in training their teams.  
But he came alone. He didn't have a partner, so he was kicked out. If he could find a partner…  
a flame caught his eye. About ten feet away from where he was sitting laid a limp figure.  
He jumped off and investigated. It was an unconscious charmander.  
"Oh dear-are you okay!?" he asked. The charmander didn't move. It looked pretty banged-up from something.  
"h-hey! Hey!" he called, "we've got someone over here!"

She stirred. She felt something soft under her, and bandages on her skin. She opened her eyes drowsily. She was belly-down on a wood hospital bed, in what looked like a wooden lodge. A table had a few berries next to the bed.  
A Chansey was bustling about nearby, arranging a few jars of liquid. A Treeko was sitting on the bedpost.  
"Are you telling me that this charmander was just unconscious on the beach?" the Chansey asked.  
The Treeko nodded. "I was just looking over the ocean," he explained, "and I saw her."  
The Chansey was taking a few notes. "So, no personal information whatsoever?" she asked.  
"Nope," the Treeko answered, jumping down, "I got her here fine, but I don't know a thing about her."  
what Charmander were they talking about? She decided to sleep a bit longer…

"Hey, you alright?" someone asked.  
Maddie sat up, surprised. The Treeko was right in front of her!  
"Um, yea!" she answered, smiling, "just fine! Uh, where am I, exactly?"  
"You're at Chansey Hospital," the Treeko answered, "I found you on the beach yesterday."  
Yesterday! She remembered the shipwreck, the storm, and that shadow under the water-and now a talking Pokémon?! "Well, you see," she started, itching her back, "I was washed overboard my ship two nights ago, and-"  
she took notice that her arm was orange. Her eyes went wide.  
"Wait, you were actually on a boat?" the Treeko asked.  
Maddie was too busy examining herself. She had orange scales, an orange tail tipped with fire, claws-  
oh gosh. She was the Charmander.  
She passed out.

Maddie woke up for good at last, and left the hospital with the Treeko.  
The town was like a traveler's place, a straight road with convenience stores and small homes here and there. The grass was fresh and springy, the dirt road smooth and with some Pokémon going about their business.  
"This is Treasure Town," the Treeko explained, "not much for a place to live, but it's great for rescue and exploration teams. I'm Mathew."  
"Maddie," she introduced. Mathew smiled.  
Kangashan storage was up first. "Kanghaskan stores items for you," he said, "or for teams. She's real popular around these times, with so many dungeons and items."  
"Hello, Mathew!" a kangaskhan appeared from behind the counter, "here to pick up that scarf?"  
"Sure thing," he answered.  
The parent Pokémon set a silk scarf on the counter. It was sky blue, with a dark blue bead to tighten and loosen. It looked beautiful.  
Mathew took it and put it on. He then showed her a Duskull-shaped building in front of the hospital.  
"Duskull and Persian are in charge of the bank," he explained, "but personally I think it's a hoarding problem."  
"It is not a problem," a Persian said, poking its head out, "if it can be used to help people!"  
"Alright," Mathew groaned. Maddie giggled.  
He showed her Xatu's openings, a Chansey day care, and Electrivire's link shop.  
"What's a link move?" she asked Mathew.  
"It's a double move," he answered, "let's say you knew flamethrower and I knew energy ball. We can link those moves, and attack all at once!"  
"Sweet," she said.  
A Zubat ran into her. "Pardon," she muttered.  
"Oh, my bad," he snickered.  
Mathew looked peeved.

"Where exactly do you come from?" Mathew asked.  
They were standing on Sharpedo Bluff. The noon sun was over them, the sea wind whipping their faces and bringing a salty tint.  
"Well…" she decided to put it on slow, "I'm not from around here…would you believe me if I said I was a human?"  
Mathew stared for a minute. "You're telling me that you're a PERSON?!" He yelled.  
Maddie slapped a hand over his mouth. "Okay, yes, yes I am," she said, "I was in a boat, there was this huge storm, and I went overboard. I have no idea where in the world I am now, or if I am in the world I know."  
"That clears up a bit of your actions," Mathew said, "but we've never had a human around before..."  
"…that's deep," a voice said from behind them.  
The two Pokémon whipped around to face the Zubat and a koffing-the Zubat from earlier!  
"Aw shoot," Maddie said, alarmed, "you heard all of that?!"  
"Yup," the kofing answered, a gassy grin on its face.  
"Beat us and we won't tell," Zubat teased.  
"Darn it. Can you fight?" Mathew asked.  
She flashed her claws. "I can learn," she smiled.  
"Okay, do you want mister gassy or the annoying flying rat?" he whispered.  
"Flying rat," she muttered, "if push comes to shove, I can blow up gassy with an ember."  
"Wait, what?" Koffing asked.  
"no-thing," Mathew smiled jokingly.  
The two duos charged at each other. Maddie scratched Zubat across the stomach. He attacked with a tackle. It left a good-sized bruise on her.  
"Weren't you told to not punch girls?!" she said, scratching again. Zubat was defeated.  
Mathew had his enemy down.  
"Tell anyone and she'll blow you up!" Mathew ordered.  
Zubat nodded weakly. The two scrambled off, leaving M and M at the bluff, alone again.  
"Well," Mathew said, "I guess I don't have a choice but to believe you."  
"Thanks," she said, grinning despite her injury, "Where to now?"  
The sunset was almost upon them, and neither had a place to stay.  
"I have an idea," Mathew said, a glint in his eye.

"And this is the guild," Mathew finished. It was a large tent shaped like a wigglytuff's head, with a grate in front.  
He had explained rescue and adventure teams to her, as well as a bit about the guild itself.  
"Do you have a team?" Maddie asked.  
"No," Mathew shrugged, "I need a partner to be part of a real rescue team. You see, that's why I'm here. I wanted to be part of a rescue team, and save people everywhere. It's kind of been my dream."  
Maddie thought for a minute. She understood the town well enough, and Mathew seemed like a nice guy. They battled well together.  
Plus, she didn't have any other option to stay at.  
"Do you think-"she hesitated for a minute, "-do you think that we could be a rescue team?"  
Mathew jumped back a little bit. "What? You're just going to join me like that?!" he exclaimed.  
"Did you see our action back there?" she answered, "and it's worth a shot, eh?"  
"Alright then," Mathew answered, still a bit confused, "let's go!"


	3. Apprentices

**Chapter 2: Apprentices**  
** Maddie's POV**

Now that I think about it that was the life-or-death of our soon-to-be team.  
Mathew stepped onto the metal grate. Hey-where'd they get that metal?!  
"Footprint detected!" a voice yelled from under the grate, "footprint detected!"  
"Who's footprint? Who's footprint?" another, louder voice screeched.  
"The footprint is Treeko's!" the first voice answered.  
"Got it!" the louder one yelled, "come on in, Stanger!"  
Mathew walked to the tent entrance. "c'mon, your turn!" he encouraged to me.  
I stepped up to the metal grate.  
"Footprint detected! Footprint detected!" the voice called again.  
"Who's footprint? Who's footprint?" the booming voice asked.  
"The footprint is-um-is-oh dear-"  
"well, who is it, diglett?!"  
ah. Diglett could be under this grate, looking at the footprint from underneath.  
"I have absolutely no idea!" the Diglett cried, "I've never seen this one before!"  
"Oh for crying out loud," the other grumbled. A bit of a hustle went on down there.  
"It's a Charmander, duh!"  
I had my claws on my face in a face palm.

The guild was underground. There were windows cut into the cliff, and orange light spilled in. There was a dirt floor, with some mats and grass. A hall lead off to the left, and there were a lot of teams.  
A Chatot stepped over to us. A Loudred and Diglett followed.  
"So, what are you two here for?" the Chatot asked us.  
"We were wanting to be part of a rescue team," Mathew explained, "I'm Mathew, and this is Maddie."  
The Chatot looked surprised. "You two?! A rescue team?!" it squawked.  
"Err, yes," I added.  
The Chatot talked with the other two Pokémon for a minute. It then whipped around to face us, a grin on its face-err-beak. "Of course, of course!" it chirped, "right this way, please!"

The Guildmaster's room was carved in brown stone. There were two torches inside, and the Guildmaster was behind a wooden desk.  
It was a Wigglytuff. Its round, blue eyes stared into space and reflected the torches.  
"Guildmaster!" the Chatot chirped, "we have two new recruits!"  
Stare.  
"Guildmaster?"  
Stare.  
"…Guild-"  
"HELLO FRIENDS!"  
Wigglytuff made us all jump. "So, you two want to be part of an adventure team?"  
"Rescue team, please," Mathew asked, "is there a large difference?"  
"Not very big," Chatot answered, "it's just what to be recorded as."  
"Rescue team? Alright then!" Wigglytuff giggled.  
"YOM-TA!"  
there was a bright flash, and a box was before us. A blue scarf just like Mathew's was folded inside, as well as an identical bead! Two rescue badges were with it as well.  
"This is your Rescuer's kit!" Wigglytuff explained, "The badges will teleport your client to the guild. The scarf-"  
"where did that scarf come from?" Chatot squawked.  
I decided to make a move.  
I took the scarf, tightened the bead, and pinned the badge onto it. Mathew shrugged and pinned his badge as well.  
"Now, what is your team name?" Wigglytuff asked.  
"Shoot-what's our team name?" Mathew asked.  
"Well, were part rescue," I thought, "and we can explore-"I stopped? Mathew must have had the same thought.  
"Explore," he answered, "we're team Explore."

Our room was at the very end of the hall. It seemed unused, but when we stepped in, there were two fresh beds of hay. A window let in the dying beams of sunlight. The edges had grass growing, and ivy hung on the walls like a curtain. An empty sign was over the doorway, which I marked 'Explore'.  
"Be up bright and early tomorrow," Chatot squawked, "or I will send Loudred in here!"  
"o-of course, sir!" Mathew answered.  
Chatot nodded, then hopped out.  
"This place sure seems empty," I said.  
Mathew placed our box in between the two beds. It seemed like a nice box, with wooden engravings of vines and leaves. "Well, now what?" Mathew asked, leaning against a stone.  
Something clicked.  
A large portion of the rock slid into the ground, leaving the entrance to a small tunnel. About as tall as me!  
"Whoa," I breathed.  
"Do all teams have this?" Mathew asked, peeking inside.  
"YOLO!" I shrieked, running inside.  
"What?" Mathew asked, running after me.  
"You Only Live Once!" I answered, waiting for him to catch up. He did, so we ventured deeper.  
The tunnel winded downwards, to a cavern. It was made of smooth, gray stone with seams of a shining mineral. There was a deep pool of water with a layer of shining pebbles at the bottom, probably the same kind of rock.  
It had a large chest at the back, with intricate gear carvings. A small gear with a keyhole in the center acted as the lock. The ground was smooth and cool underfoot. A stack of blue cloth was on one side of the cave, and a roll of something on the other.  
"What is this place?" Mathew asked. It echoed faintly.  
"I don't know," I said. He walked to the roll and flipped it out. It was a round, velvety rug with a green rim and blue gear in the center. The cloth was the exact same color as our scarves.  
"It's like destiny wanted us to find this place," Mathew said.  
I was experimenting on a cloth. It was just big enough to be a blanket…  
"we can't let anyone find out," I said.  
"Why?" Mathew asked, "the guild would love this place!"  
"Look," I said, folding the blanket back up, "we found that entrance; we have a right to this place. It can be like…a storage place, or emergency room or something."  
"I guess you have a point," Mathew sighed, "I've never had a secret room before."  
"Now you do," I smiled.  
"hey-look at this!" he said. A key was in the very center of the rug. It looked like a normal key, with a gear at the non-locking end.  
"Think it might…?" he wondered, holding it up to the chest. He clicked it into the chest.  
A small breeze breathed out of the chest, stirring the otherwise still water. It seemed unnatural. He opened the lid fully. There was a leather saddlebag with blue stitching and a journal inside labeled Lilac's Diary.  
The bag was empty, but it seemed just the right size for a Charmander like myself.  
Mathew was busy with the journal.  
"Who would just leave something down here?" I asked.  
"I don't know," Mathew answered, "maybe an older rescue team? Let me check this journal."  
He flipped it to a random page and read:

_Summer 63, first year _  
_It's been a long day for our team. We had to escort a Stunky all the way to Oran forest! Little guy wanted to meet up with a burmy. Rip was having the nightmare of his life. Grass types are a water type's worst nightmare-unless, of course, it's me!_

"That tells us a bit," I said, "one: this was a team's stuff. Two: it had at least two members, Lilac and Rip. Rip appears to be a water type, and Lilac is a grass type of some sort. Three: they appear to no longer be around, or they would still have this stuff."  
"If that's true," Mathew said, "then that's why our room feels so empty: it's just the ghost of another team."

Mathew brought up the rug, I brought two of the three blankets.  
After feeling around the pushed-in stone, we found a reverse button that brought the wall back up.  
"I have an idea," Mathew said. He took a bit of ink from the chest and sketched a gear on the trick stone. It wasn't noticeable if you weren't looking.  
By then the moon was overhead. My partner rolled out the rug, and I put the blankets over the beds.  
"Maybe that should be our team's signature," I suggested, "a blue gear."  
"It does look nice," he said. I flopped onto the sheets, and he did the same.  
"You know," Mathew said, "this is the greatest day of my life."  
"Same here," I answered, slipping under, "I've never seen anything as beautiful as that cave."  
He grunted agreement.  
We were both snoring minutes later.


	4. Drowsy and Kidnapping

**Chapter 3: Drowsy and Kidnapping **  
**Mathew's POV**

"UP AND AT'EM! IT'S MORNING!"  
I bolted upright. Loudred was at our door, extremely displeased.  
Maddie few out of bed onto the ceiling.  
"WELL C'MON!" the loud Pokémon yelled, stomping past the hall.  
The sun was already up.  
"We overslept!" I said as my new partner fell off the rocky above.  
"Aw jeez, not on our first day!" she squeaked.  
We ran out into the lowest section's main room. It was quite big, with grass all over the floor. Windows let in the morning sun on the rest of the teams. the hall opposite of us, the left, lead to the mess hall.  
There was a team of a Sunflora and Chimecho, who were talking away as we waited for the guildmaster. The other team of three was made up of Loudred, Bidoof and Corphish. Bidoof had drowsy eyes.  
There was a Croagunk, Dugtrio, and (of course) Chatot.  
Croagunk was just starting to freak me out when the Guildmaster's door flung open and he stepped out. His eyes were glazed over.  
"A-hem!" Chatot coughed.  
The guildmaster woke up fully and smiled brightly, "good morning, friends!"  
Chatot flapped over to him. "Everyone, we have two new apprentices in the guild, Maddie and Mathew!"  
Everyone noticed us for once and greeted us.  
I saw Maddie blushing out of the corner of my eye.  
"Be sure to make them feel welcome and help their training!"  
"Sure thing, yup yup!" the Bidoof blubbered. He looked incredibly happy about our new team.  
"And now that morning announcements is over, it's time for our morning cheer!" Chatot squawked.  
"Wait, wha-"  
"A ONE, A TWO...A ONE-TWO-THREE  
ONE! DON'T SHIRK WORK!  
TWO! RUN AWAY AND PAY!  
THREE! SMILES GO FOR MILES!"  
Everyone laughed and went off to their business. I couldn't hear anything…again.  
"What are you two doing?" Chatot squawked.  
"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Maddie asked, rubbing her ears.  
Chatot face winged.

We were assigned to do a job or two on the board.  
"O-kay, we've got a lovely choice of lost, beaten Pokémon wandering in dungeons, exited tourists, and sorry stealers too near-sighted to see us coming. Who are we going to do?" the Charmander was examining the board carefully as she said this.  
"Well, there's always a villain or two, right?" I shrugged.  
She ripped a poster off the board. There was a mug shot of a Drowzee as well and the words WANTED above his head. There were details further down:

** Drowzee, male**  
** wanted for kidnapping of Azurill**  
** reward: 3000 poke**

That was a fair price for a robber.  
"Poor Azurill," I said. Maddie nodded curtly.  
"I say we get him," I said, glaring at the image.  
Maddie had a sly smile on her face. "Anything for a battle…"

Drowzee was last seen going to Mt. Bristle with his captive, so we headed there.  
"I see why they call it 'Bristle'," Maddie grimaced after pulling out another thorn.  
We were getting quite a collection of the barbs…on us and on the ground.  
There were quite a few wild Pokémon fights. Maddie learned smokescreen, although she wasn't enjoying it.  
"Darn it," she cursed after fogging up her vision in another failed attack.  
I hadn't learned any new tricks yet.  
We were halfway up the summit when a screaming was heard.  
"I won't do it!" a young voice said.  
"Oh yes you will," another one snarled.  
We rushed up the rest of the dungeon in a frenzy, fearing the worst.  
Luckily, it hadn't come to that. The outlaw was trying to force an Azurill into a small space in the rocks.  
"No!" the little Pokémon cried, slipping out of his grasp and tumbling toward us. Maddie scooped the little guy up and sat him down next to us.  
"What the-"the Drowzee started, being cut off by a scratch attack.  
"An exploration team?!" he yelled, pounding her back.  
"No! Rescue!" I hollered, pounding him.  
He smiled evilly and launched a hypnosis at Maddie. She smashed into a boulder, asleep.  
I glared at him and said, "You're going to pay for that…"  
I pounded him until he was on the ground, begging for mercy. Maddie was back up.  
"Thanks, bro," she smiled, "let's drag this sucker back to town."

Magnezone awarded us at the guild with, drumroll, 3,000 poke!  
"We're rich!" I said.  
"Oh yes, now for the guild's portion," Chatot chirped.  
We were left with 300 poke.  
"What? That's it?" Maddie gapped.  
"For your training, of course!" the parrot said, storing away the money.  
"Better than nothing," I shrugged, storing the money in our bag. The leather one from yesterday.  
"I got pricked at least one thousand times," she muttered, "for this much money…"

"Dinner time!" Chimecho rang.  
The table was full of foods, from apples to berries to gummies.  
"Man, am I starving!" Maddie said. We dug in.

_ crunch munch stuffle slurp crunch munch stuffle slurp crunch munch stuffle slurp!_

Although slightly disgusted by the member's eating habits, who could help it with this feast!  
Maddie swallowed an apple whole.  
"Like, what-the-heck, girl?!" Sunflora shrieked.  
She shrugged and gnawed on a gummy.  
"So, Explore?" Bidoof asked.  
"Team explore," I said in between mouthfuls.  
"Oh! Are you an exploration team?" he asked.  
"Nope," I answered, "we're a rescue team."  
"Rescue team?" Bidoof said, tilting his head, "we've never had a rescue team in training before."  
I smiled.

"That money lost was a bit of a bummer," I said as we laid in bed.  
"Yep," Maddie said, "but maybe we'll be paid more if we do more jobs?"  
"I don't think it's about the money," I said, "it was fun to fight, and the look on Azurill's face was enough for me."  
"You're right," Maddie said, "you're absolutely right."  
"Absol-lutely?"  
"Absolutely," she explained, "completely and fully. Like Absol. They're completely innocent in bringing disaster."  
"I thought they brought disaster?" I asked, sitting up in bed.  
"That's an old wives tale," she huffed, "where I come from, some people would shoot absol."  
"What?!" I yelled.  
She hushed. "They used to, anyway. My family doesn't hunt."  
"Oh, good," I sighed. "Hey, who is your family?" I asked.  
"My mother and my father. My mom owns a Skuntank, a female, and my dad has a Chatot, a male."  
"It must be hard, seeing Chatot every day." I said.  
"Every time I look at him, I think of my dad," she sighed, "who's your family?"  
"I come from a long line of Treeko, Grovyle, and Sceptile," I said, thinking of my family in Evergrowth. It had been time for me to move on, too many Pokémon in the woods for my comfort.  
Snoring in her bed told me Maddie was asleep. I was down soon after, thinking of my siblings in Evergrowth.

"They got us good, boss," Koffing puffed.  
the shadowed figure growled.  
"We earned an interesting tidbit about that Charmander, though," Zubat snickered.  
"Oh? And what would that be?"  
the beach cave hid the figure. He was next to the pool, listening to his two partners.  
"She's a human," Koffing said.  
"WHAT?!" Skuntank exclaimed. It echoed through the cave.  
"I'd prefer if you didn't do that, boss," Zubat muttered, his ears twitching.  
"Fine," the boss said, settling down.  
"Should we go to that guild?" Koffing wheezed, "There bound to be there, and maybe we could earn more poke?"  
The boss thought. There was no point in hunkering around the cave anymore. And more poke sounded appealing…  
"We'll go tomorrow," he said.


	5. Pearly

**Chapter 4: Pearly **  
**third person POV**

"I have an assignment for you today," Chatot puffed.  
Maddie was rubbing her ears from the Loudred alarm when the bird told them their mission:  
"a Spoink has lost his pearl around Drenched Bluff. I know it sounds like a normal mission, but it's been on the board for a week now! How irresponsible!"  
"Well, Chatot," Mathew shrugged, "it doesn't sound important, but we're up for it."  
"Good," Chatot chirped, "see that it is done well."  
"Why would a Spoink miss his pearl?" he asked Maddie as they went up the ladder.  
"Spoink's pearl is not only incredibly large and pretty, it keeps the Spoink calm. If one were to loose it's pearl, it would drive itself crazy!"  
"Oh dear," Mathew shuddered, "that mission has been up there for a while…"

Drenched Bluff was a stony landscape with a pool of water every five feet. The air was humid, making Maddie's tail give off a hint of steam.  
"Shouldn't you cover that? I thought Charmander died if their tail went out," Mathew asked.  
"Well, it does," she replied, inching around another water source, "but it REPRESENTS my energy. If I were to put it out, I would still live. I just wouldn't have a light source."  
"How do you know all this?"  
She shrugged. Then she shrieked. Behind them, following them since they got to its floor, was a Lileep!  
"No one shall leave from the great and powerful Tentanous!" the Lileep yelled, firing another water gun at Maddie. She slipped away just as it came close.  
"I second that!" Mathew cried, using Absorb.  
Allow me to explain: Absorb is when the Pokémon makes an incision. A yellow-green liquid leaks out of the wound, which the Pokémon takes for their own energy.  
The Lileep screamed in pain and fainted.  
"You alright?" he asked.  
"Just wet," she huffed, shaking herself.

They were halfway through the dungeon when a Shellos ran up to them.  
"ACK!" Maddie jumped back at the duel ground-water type, crashing into Mathew.  
"Ohmigoshohmigoshohmigosh!" the little Pokémon yelped, "Ihopeididn'tscareyoubut-"  
"whoa, whoa!" the Treeko held up his hands, allowing Maddie to fall, "what is it?"  
the Shellos took a breath and restarted.  
"My friend w-was defeated by some Lileep-"  
"that little double-crosser!" Maddie gritted.  
"-and the Anorith might get him any minute, could you just please help me?!"  
"Two missions in one," she smiled, "let's do it."  
The Shellos lead them through twists and turns in the path, through various rooms and past various enemies.  
"Jeez, that's a far way for a little Shellos," Mathew panted.  
Finally, they came across a battlefield.  
It was a room, dripping wet with water attacks. Chunks of stone had been ripped from the walls through other attacks, and deep scourges were in the ground.  
"Holy mother of all Tauros, that Lileep did this?!" Maddie exclaimed.  
The Shellos nodded grimly.  
It lead them to a pile of small stones, where a little pink fin was sticking out.  
"One…two…three!" they pulled out the Shellos.  
It was coated with vine whip marks, but still alive.  
"Oh, thankyouthankyouthankyou!" the first Shellos squeaked.  
"No problem!" Maddie said, waving goodbye.

"Pretty pearl," Mathew whistled.  
They were finally at the end of Drenched Bluff. The Spoink's pink pearl lay before them, amongst sparkling stones. Maddie examined one. "What kind of Pokémon stores a hoard of rocks?" she thought out loud.  
A sound chimed.  
"What?" she dropped the rock.  
It chimed again. Mathew turned around to face a Chimecho hanging on the wall.  
It was sound asleep.  
Its green ribbon was tipped with orange instead of red.  
"Excuse us," Mathew asked it.  
It blinked drowsily.  
"We were sent to give this pearl you have hear back to a Spoink," he explained, "that alright with you?"  
"Of course," the wind chime Pokémon murmured, "I took it so you could vanquish that Lileep bully…"  
"Smart," Maddie admitted, putting the pearl into their bag.  
"Goodbye, Explore," the Chimecho whispered, falling asleep.  
Maddie put a hand over her mouth in shock.  
Mathew smiled as they slipped out for the shiny psychic type to sleep.

"Oh, thank you!" Spoink squealed, placing the pearl on his head, "the voices were just about to get me!"  
"I'm sorry, voices?" Chatot squawked.  
Spoink jumped back up the ladder talking to itself after giving the reward…300 poke.  
"We saved a Shellos, too," Mathew bragged.  
"Oh wow! No one has rescued anyone on an exploration mission!" Bidoof said, his eyes sparkling.  
Maddie blushed.  
"How did you find the pearl?" the little Pokémon asked.  
"It was being kept by a shiny Chimecho," Maddie explained.  
"Oh, really?" their Chimecho stopped to listen.  
"It wanted us to come after the pearl so we could defeat this Lileep that had been fighting a lot," he said.  
"That must have been Divon," Chimecho said, "He collects shiny rocks and the like. He must have found out about that pearl."  
"Divon?"  
"Japanese for Ribbon," Chimecho explained, floating away to make dinner.

_ Crunch munch stuffle slurp crunch munch stuffle slurp crunch munch stuffle slurp!_  
Mathew was going to try his hand-err, mouth-at swallowing an apple whole.  
"Hey Hey, good luck!" Corphish said.  
He got it lodged in his mouth instead.  
"Toasted?" Maddie asked.  
"Mph?"  
FOOM!  
One ember attack later, Mathew's face was black and the apple was gone.  
"Ma-ddie!"  
"Sorry!" she whimpered.

That night, Explore was lying in bed.  
"You know something?" Mathew asked.  
"What?" she replied.  
"Maybe we need another recruit."  
"Who could it be?" she asked, "we could ask one of the others to join, but they prefer exploring."  
"Well, what about a wild Pokémon?" Mathew suggested.  
She thought, "we could get a water-type recruit, for fire types that neither of us can defeat…"  
"Or a rock type," he thought.  
"That Shellos seemed nice. We should've asked him," she sighed.  
"Yea," Mathew said, "maybe we could ask him later?"  
"Okay," she answered, curling up to sleep.

He ran.  
He kept a steady pace, past the forest he called home.  
Deerling scampered out of his way, whether in fear or just because he would crash into them.  
He leapt over the stream, a Piplup learning to swim chirping a greeting.  
His stirred wind rustled the Chimecho and Chingling that hung on the largest birch tree, causing a song of chimes and bells. He dodged a fight between two Rhyhorn at the base of the mountain, going around to the other section of forest.  
A Kangaskhan nearly dropped her load as he practically flew past, to somewhere new.  
Dusk kept running his fast pace to a place.  
A place known by many as Treasure town.

"YOOM-TA!"  
the bright flash stung the new team's eyes.  
"Welcome to the guild, friends!" Wigglytuff cheered.  
Skuntank smiled and slipped on the treasure bag. Zubat wrapped the scarf around his forehead. Koffing farted.  
"Team Skull," Chatot chirped, "we expect you to do your best, be it exploring, rescuing, or treasure hunting!"  
"We will," Skuntank said.  
"Your room should be next to team Explore," Chatot said.  
"Pardon?"  
"Team Explore," Chatot explained, "Maddie and Mathew. They got here two days ago, and boy, their very good at what they do."  
"Which would be..." Skuntank pressed.  
"Rescuing," Chatot squawked, "they're a Rescue team."  
"Is that so?" Skuntank sneered.  
"Why?" Chatot asked.  
"Oh, no reason in particular," he said, "we were just…acquainted previously."  
"Good!" Wigglytuff said, "That means we're all friends!"  
"How obnoxious," Koffing puffed to himself.  
"Quiet," Zubat warned, "or he'll hear you!"


	6. Skull and Crossbones

**Chapter 5:**  
** Skull and crossbones**

"There's a trapped Venipede swarm over in Oran Forest," Maddie read, "lead by a Scolipede. A landslide of some sort trapped them off."  
"Oran Forest?" Mathew hummed.  
"Yep. We could grab some berries on the way, you know, for emergencies." She winked. Orans were her favorite to snack on.  
"Alright, but what kind of landslide?" he asked.  
"Plant debris from their scrap pile on the hill. Venipede live in dead wood," she explained.  
"Alright, let's-"he froze.  
A thick fog had filled the room.  
"Oh my gosh what is that smell?!" Sunflora gasped.  
"I think I'm poisoned," Maddie muttered, waving it away.  
A Skuntank, Zubat and Koffing emerged from the cloud.  
"Well hello," the Skuntank said, "you must be Team Explore."  
"Yea, what about it?" Mathew asked, fanning away the smell.  
"Well, I believe you're acquainted with my other members, Zubat and Koffing?" the Skuntank asked.  
"More or less," Maddie said.  
She got an idea.  
Wrapping her claws around her flame, she continued:  
"they were a worthy opponent for us. Do you have a team name?"  
"Team Skull," Zubat bragged, "much more interesting than Explore."  
"I wouldn't act so cocky," Mathew threatened.  
"Psst! Sunflora! Gather this gas together!"  
The sunflower-like Pokémon was about to ask, then smiled.  
"We're stronger than you," Koffing listed, "we have more members, and we don't have CHICKENS."  
Maddie froze. "WHAT," she said in shock.  
"It's true," Skuntank shrugged, "you're chickens to not be an exploration team and just handle the little rescue missions." "Want to bet?"  
"Exploring is much harder," Skuntank said, "you don't know where you're going! But maybe it's because you're so weak and little!"  
They laughed.  
Maddie smiled her dude-look-out-it's-coming grin.  
"What are you going to do?" Mathew moaned.  
She stuck her tail  
into the gas ball  
that had formed around Skull.

"Okay, so they were being rude," Mathew said, "but did you really need to blow up the place?!"  
One explosion later, the guild members were scattered around the room and Skull was at the hospital. The floor was blackened and the scent of smoke was in the air.  
"They were bullying our team!" she protested, scrubbing the ground, "what else could I do? Admit it, you hate them too. Plus, the smell's gone."  
"Best…joke…in, like FOR-EV-A!" Sunflora shrieked, handing them a bucket.  
"Yup yup!" Bidoof agreed.  
"Okay, I do. When will this be done?" Mathew asked.  
"I don't quite know," she said, accidentally grabbing Bidoof and mopping the floor as she spoke, "that was a good blast there, maybe two degree burns? The ground that we burned can be buried, and this black stuff on the rocks is coming off pretty well."  
She dunked Bidoof and continued without looking, "The Venipede can hold on for a little bit. They can't possibly be starving, with all those berries."  
"Hey, Hey Maddie-"  
"in fact, I think we're done!" she threw Bidoof into the bucket, splashing her.  
The little rodent came up, coughing.  
"Yup yup, no bath tonight!" he shrieked.

Oran forest was bright and cheery, with an Oran berry around every corner.  
"I think we can bring these back as an apology," Mathew said, plucking a few.  
"Fine," Maddie muttered, cleaning a branch of its fruit.  
They were both level 16. The forest Pokémon weren't that eager to fight, and could be taken care of easily anyway.  
"Darn these bug types," Mathew said, rubbing a bitten arm.  
"i'll have you know that were saving bug types," Maddie reminded.  
"yea, poisonous bugs that can kill you by rubbing against your leg. Can't wait."  
A while later, they came across a hill. It was grassy, near the center of the forest, and held a pile of dead branches on its top.  
"It would need to be twice that size to hold an entire Venipede swarm!" she said.  
"There's the other half," Mathew grimaced, pointing down the hill.  
There was ring of trees beneath them, blocked by a huge dam of dead branches, leaves, and other rotting plant material. A ruckus of chirps and rustling growls were flowing through the dam to a Scolipede.  
The Megapede Pokémon was pacing the length of the wall, running, pacing again.  
The two rescuers ran to it.  
"You're the Scolipede that sent the letter, I presume?" Maddie asked.  
"You must be the rescuers, then," the Scolipede grunted.  
"How did this happen?" Mathew asked.  
"I was minding the swarm here," the Scolipede said, "when a huge gust from a battle blew over our home. They've been in there for a day now…"  
"Don't you flick an antenna, sir," Maddie said, laying a hand on his side, "we'll get them out."  
"We can't blaze the blockage," Mathew thought, putting a hand under his chin, "that might not only hurt the swarm, it'll set the whole forest on fire. Acid will do the same."  
"There's no other way past the brambles on the trees," the Scolipede said, "I've checked."  
"Is there a way through it?" he asked.  
"Not without digging through all that dead stuff," she answered.  
"Carrying would take too long, digging under wouldn't hold, over-"Mathew stopped.  
"Over!" Maddie said, "If we put strong branches across both sides, we could lead them over!"  
"We don't have many branches strong enough and long enough," Scolipede said, "I've tried." He gestured to a collapsed pile of tree limbs.  
"If we could weave the sticks and bark together," Maddie said, "we could get it long enough for their side. You could be the bridge for the other, if you stuck your antenna into the pile."  
"Let's do it," Scolipede said.

"Look out!"  
the bridge slammed to the ground, one end propped up onto the dam. Mathew, Maddie, and Scolipede all needed to move it over together.  
That was when she got a real view of the swarm.  
There were Venipede, of course, but Whirlipede and several young Scolipede as well. The Venipede alone covered the ground in a sea of venomous insects.  
"c'mon, up the bridge," Maddie encouraged.  
Slowly, but surely, the Venipede scampered over. The Whirlipede came next, testing Scolipede's strength.  
All that was left were a pair of Scolipede, smaller and younger that the lead Scolipede. They could walk over the bridge, but couldn't get over him.  
"Better idea," one of them, a female, said.  
She steamrolled down the pile.  
Maddie shrugged, bit her tail and rolled down with them.  
"You're crazy," Mathew grunted after catching up.  
She looked at him, "you just figured that out?"

After that issue was taken care of, they just had to move the pile.  
It took several loads across arms, backs and antenna, but they eventually made it back.  
"Why do you use all this stuff," Maddie asked a Venipede while going back down, "when living things are stronger?"  
"That's our duty!" it chirred, "we take the old things from the forest. Without us, they would pile up faster and choke away anything alive. Once it's all mushed up, we scoop it back to the trees and plants."  
They got more dead material as he continued:  
"it might smell bad and be inedible, but that's our part. We make sure that the forest stays healthy. They live, they die, they live again, through the plants they were taken from and then taken back in."  
"Wow," she awed.  
The Venipede chirred happily.

They live, they die, they live again, through the plants they were taken from and then taken back in.  
Those words thrummed in her head as Explore headed back.  
It was probably their motto.  
She told Mathew about it.  
"That does seem like a motto," he said.  
"I know, right?" she replied.  
The sun was setting when they arrived in Treasure Town. Making the bridge alone had taken a few hours, longer to get the swarm over, and longest to get their home fixed.  
Suddenly, a shadow blocked her view. She looked up to see-  
then wished she hadn't.  
She wished she hadn't left the forest.  
This was a bad sign.  
She gasped in shock and horror.  
"What?! What is it?!" Mathew asked.  
She pointed a trembling finger at the figure on the path.  
He gasped.  
"A-A-Absol!"

Dusk fled as soon as he had come. He knew this wasn't the last he'd see of those two.  
He didn't run far; he ducked behind the shrubbery instead.  
Just as planned, the three from the other team strutted down the path from town to the guild with bandages, cross looks on their faces.  
They saw the two cowering on the path and snickered.  
"What's wrong?" the leader Skuntank asked, "too afraid to face us?"  
"T-that's n-not w-w-what you think," the Charmander stammered.  
"Then what's the two chickens afraid of?" the Koffing teased.  
And…  
now.  
A hard, hot wind whooshed by, causing the flames on the Guild's torches to roar and leap from their posts. The wind blew them right in the center of the path, cloaking the three in fire.  
They screamed in pain and ran.  
"Oh my sweet gosh," the Charmander wheezed, "you could've died if that hit you!"  
The Treeko collapsed in relief.  
"Good thing we saw that Absol," he said, running for the well water to extinguish the fire.  
"Yea, thanks to him, wherever he is." The charmander said, helping out.  
"You're welcome," Dusk whispered.


	7. The new Recruit

**Chapter 6:**  
** The new Recruit**

"Attention, everyone!" Chatot said after the morning cheer, "we have an announcement to make!"  
Skull was on the opposite side of the group from Explore, still a bit hostile to the team. They had, slowly but surely, made their way into Guild acceptance, despite their general odor.  
Mathew still didn't trust them.  
"Don't worry about it," Maddie hushed, "their probably just rowdy!"  
"In a few days," Chatot squawked, "the guild will be going on an exhibition!"  
A wave of excitement ran through the group.  
"I know that many of you haven't been here long enough to go on a trip," Chatot said, "so we decided to travel past Mt. Horn to Fogbound Lake! It will be a long, tiring trip, with many challenges on the way. So I want each of you to prove yourselves worthy to go! No worry-warts or couch potatoes on this trip!"  
"C-certainly, Chatot, Wigglytuff!" Loudred promised.  
"Yup yup, sure will!" Bidoof added.  
Skull didn't look the least bit worried.  
"Dismissed!" Chatot said. The guild members went hurrying off.  
Explore ran to the board-  
which was being hogged by Skull.  
"Naw, nothing decent here," Skuntank muttered, walking back to the rescue board.  
"Says the Pokémon who called us weak," Mathew muttered.  
The board was empty except for an old mission copy, which was probably done before.  
"Wait!" Maddie said before Mathew could walk away, "look!"  
Behind the mission was a second notice.  
A band of fighting types had ganged up on several Pokémon before, and there was a request from a previously mauled Phanpy to take them down.  
"Amp Plains," she stated after being asked where this was.  
"That's a first," Mathew said.  
"Yea, never been there before."  
"No, I mean for the first time we're both average against the types there."

"How do they live like this?!" Maddie yelled.  
Amp Plains was rocky and high. There was a constant thunderstorm overhead, threatening to rain but never did. It didn't help that seams of metal were all over and in the rock. There was a lightning bolt every minute!  
"You need to consider the habits of electric types!" Mathew answered.  
"Yea! Standing around in rainstorms!"  
"Over here!" a Phanpy yelled. It was hiding in a rock crevice.  
Maddie and Mathew slipped in with it.  
The rock shelter was larger than it appeared, sheltering two Donphan and two other Phanpy.  
"Sorry to drop in," Maddie said as another peal of thunder cracked.  
"No, no, it's fine!" one female Donphan said, "We were expecting you!"  
"Alright, what's the details on these fighting types?" Mathew asked.  
"They showed up about a month ago," the male Donphan explained, "they were fine and friendly, until they evolved."  
The youngest Phanpy whimpered. Maddie took note of the bruises on its pale blue skin as its mother pulled it closer.  
"They became ruffians," the Donphan explained, "beating up anyone on the mountain. 'Because you were in our territory.' 'We wanted to eat your food.' The excuses went on and on. I took them on with my wife a week ago-"  
he lifted his trunk to show a huge, X-shaped mark right above its mouth.  
"-but we lost. Our son here, Phil, was caught up in their ambush and nearly killed."  
"Sounds like someone got into the wrong neighborhood," Maddie hissed.  
"Speaking of which, the Pokémon that have been living here are terrified," the Donphan's mate added, "they either scattered around the place or ran to other places."  
Mathew punched into his fist, "let's take care of these bullies."

The mean group hung around the tenth floor, right next to the rest stop.  
Just as Phil led them onto the floor, a fight was heard.  
"What did I do to you?!" a deep voice asked.  
The three Pokémon ran to the room. Phil shoved Team Explore into a different crevice as they watched the scene unfold.  
A Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, and Hitmontop had cornered an-  
"is that the Absol from yesterday!?" Maddie whispered.  
The Absol, whoever it was, had injuries varying from small bruises and cuts gained by running to an awkward-angled foreleg.  
It was limping, against the wall, a defiant look in its blood-red eyes.  
"This'll show you to tell us to run!" the Hitmontop bellowed, aiming another kick at it.  
"YOU CAME TO THE WRONG NEIGHBORHOOD, MOTHERFUDGER!" Maddie yelled, Dragon Raging the leg.  
Mathew quick attacked the other two, knocking them over.  
They stood in front of the wounded Absol, shielding it from any attacks.  
"Team Explore!" the Hitmontop snarled.  
"Looks like word gets around here fast," Maddie muttered, using Ember on the Hitmontop. It fell to the ground, defeated. "w-we don't want any trouble," the Hitmonlee said, cowering.  
"TELL THAT TO THE NAITIVES!" Maddie yelled, scratching the life out of him.  
The Hitmonchan was nothing after several absorbs, complementary to Mathew.  
Once they were roped, bound, and tied up, Maddie turned to the Absol.  
"Thank you," it said, laying down to rest, "I guess we're both even."  
"So it was you who warned us earlier!" Mathew said.  
The Absol gave a curt nod.  
"Is that leg of yours alright?" she asked him.  
The wounded Absol tried to stretch it. "I think it was dislocated with the first kick," the Absol replied.  
"Mind coming with us to fix it?"  
"Would I?" the Absol chuckled.  
Phil the Phanpy was prancing around. "No more bullies, no more bullies!" he shrieked.  
"Tell your mother," Mathew said, kneeling down to get them eye to eye, "tell your friends, spread the word.  
"You can stand outside and be struck by lightning without any other fear again."

"Dislocated," Chansey puffed, "typical injury from fighting types."  
They had helped the Absol to the hospital, while dragging the crooks.  
Arceus knows how they did it.  
"I suppose you need to put it back in place?" Absol guessed.  
"Your doom powers predict on overtime," Chansy chuckled. "Hang on…one…two…"  
a loud pop was heard, followed by a crash.  
"What was that?" Mathew asked.  
"Sorry," Maddie grinned sheepishly, picking herself off the floor, "I've never been good with internal organs."  
"You'll be fine, just don't walk on it for now," Chansey instructed.  
The Absol smiled painfully.  
The Chansey left the room after being called. "IT BETTER NOT BE ANOTHER BROKEN RIBCAGE-"  
"Hey, team Explore, right?" the Absol asked.  
Mathew looked over, "yes, that's us. I'm Mathew and this is Maddie."  
"I was just wondering…"  
"Wondering what?" Maddie asked, playing with her tail in her hand.  
"Wondering…if I could…join your team."  
Maddie dropped her tail.  
"That…that would be great!" Mathew said, smiling, "welcome to Explore!"  
"Pleasure to be a part of it," he said, "although I might be out of commission for a bit. My name is Dusk."

The now larger team went back to the guild at last.  
"What's the grate for?" Dusk asked.  
"It's to check your footprint," Maddie answered, "I know it sounds weird, but it really helps to pick out the intruders."  
Dusk shrugged and stepped up. Well, limped up. His injured leg was wrapped to his chest, leaving him three good legs. "Footprint detected!" Diglett called as usual.  
"Who's footprint?" Loudred yelled back.  
"The footprint is-  
GAH! IT'S AN ABSOL!" he yelled, panicked.  
"He's with us!" Mathew yelled.  
"Well, okay!" Diglett yelled, "c'mon in!"  
The two helped Dusk down the ladder, to await Chatot.  
"News spreads fast in the Pokémon world," Maddie muttered under her breath.  
"Alright you two," Chatot chirped, "who's this?"  
"This is Dusk," Mathew introduced, "Dusk, this is Chatot, Guild master's right hand man-err, bird."  
"You have a new recruit, then?" Chatot asked.  
"Yes," Maddie said, "but he may be out of action for a while. Dislocated shoulder."  
"We can tolerate that. Welcome, Dusk," Chatot squawked, hopping away.  
"It sure is an honor to be at this guild," Dusk said, "news of this place spreads for miles."  
"Don't look now, but here's the guilds most annoying recruits," Maddie said.  
Team Skull walked over to see what the hubbub was about.  
"Lookie here," Skuntank said, "Explore's got a new pet."  
"Oh boy, is the Absol a new recruit?" Zubat snickered.  
"Whoa-hoa-ho, hope he switches to the big boys!" Koffing said.  
Dusk stepped up.  
"I suppose you're Skuntank, leader of team Skull, so-called 'boss' of your two recruits Koffing and Zubat?" he asked politely, yet empty of any respect.  
"Oh, news does spread fast around here," Skuntank said dully.  
"I received this of my own accord," he said.  
"Stalker?!" Skuntank gasped.  
"You're the stalker."  
"Are you accusing me?" Skuntank growled.  
A small group had formed.  
"You were accusing yourself," Dusk replied calmly and evenly.  
"Pardon?"  
"Earlier you said that news does spread quickly. Maddie said that just now on the ladder when she saw Chatot, and I saw you hunkering around just then. this not only proves my innocence, it proves your guilt."  
The skunk's eyes were wide and blank.  
Dusk had half-open eyes and sly smile.  
Team Skull walked away, as everyone stared dumbfounded at Team Explore's new silver tongue.


	8. Catching Fire

**Chapter 7  
Catching Fire**

Mathew stirred in his bed.  
Dusk's bed was a bit bigger than theirs, and located right in line of the door, at the back. The third blanket from the hidden room was large enough for him. He was amazed by the secret room, just as they were.  
"Mathew?" Dusk asked. He had a deeper voice than the other two, and was also a bit older.  
"Yea?"  
"Maddie's gone."  
"What?"  
He looked over. Sure enough, his flaming partner's bed was empty. It was still pretty early, too early for going out.  
"Let's ask around. Maybe she went for a walk."  
The two strolled out to a quiet guild. Not even Chatot was up yet.  
There was one peculiar thing:  
a trail of scorched ground lead from their room to the ladder, up the ladder. It was pitch black and had traces of ash.  
"I'll check upstairs," Mathew said.  
"I'll poke around here a while," Dusk agreed, "try to find any other clues."  
"Okay."  
Mathew crawled up to the first floor-  
and gasped in shock.  
There were two other trails, right in front of him!  
Bellsprout of Team Flame ran into him. "Mathew, right?" he asked.  
"Yes," he said, "have you seen team Explore's Charmander?"  
"Can't say that I have," he sighed, "have you seen Camerupt and Ponyta?"  
"Nope," he shook his head.  
"Hey, let's tell Chatot," Bellsprout said.  
"Chatot? Where is he?" Mathew asked.  
"He sleeps on the tent to make sure no one gets out," Bellsprout explained.  
The two grass types climbed up the ladder, out of the tent to meet a squawk.  
"What are you two doing up so early?!" Chatot shrieked.  
"Camerupt, Ponyta, and Maddie have gone missing," Mathew relayed.  
"Are you sure?" Chatot flew down and cocked his head.  
"Positive," Bellsprout huffed, "we've looked all over the place, and not a sign! Except for these burn marks."  
"Ah, I just noticed those!" Chatot chirped.  
"They lead out of our rooms, out of the guild," Mathew said.  
"I didn't hear a thing last night," Chatot Squawked.  
"Then where are they?"

"Attention everyone!" Chatot squawked again after the morning cheer.  
"What now?" Zubat muttered.  
"As you may notice, the fire types of the guild have gone missing!"  
"Missing?"  
"What?"  
"Who would take them? And why?"  
"Yea, why?"  
"Quiet, quiet!" Chatot flapped.  
Everyone fell silent.  
"Last night, they must have been stolen. They might be in extreme danger as we speak! I know you are all very busy with your schedules, and the exhibition, but after your missions today, we'll hold a search party for them. Agreed?"  
"Agreed," everyone said.  
"Good. Dismissed," Chatot said.  
"Now what?" Dusk asked.  
"Usually, I'd find myself a mission to accomplish," Mathew said, "but there's no one to do it with-"  
"Mathew!"  
"Y-yes Chatot!?" the Treeko snapped to attention as Chatot walked over.  
"Your job for today is sentry duty!" the parrot squawked.  
"You mean, take over Diglett's job?" he asked.  
Chatot nodded, "he's busy checking the town for more disappearances. I'm assuming you know how to do it?"  
"Y-yes, of course!" Mathew said.  
"Loudred will help you with anything. Get to it!"  
The only active Team Explore member walked over to Loudred and went down the hole.  
Dusk sighed and looked around. The guild members were away on missions, or other assignments…  
"pardon me, Dusk," a quiet voice said from behind him.  
He turned around to face Chimecho.  
The wind chime was floating nearby timidly, holding a basket. "Would you mind helping me in the kitchen…?"

Only Chimecho ever went into the kitchen.  
It was a rocky hollow, with a pot hanging over an open fire and several cabinets full of berries, fruit, and gummies. A countertop was nearby the fire for preparing meals.  
"So, have you ever cooked?" Chimecho rang.  
"No," Dusk admitted, "I usually just eat berries raw."  
"Well, goodie!" Chimecho shrieked, "That means I can show you!"

"The footprint is Pidgey's!" Mathew yelled.  
"Got it! C'mon in, partner!"  
Mathew was doing pretty well. This was his tenth Pokémon, and the tenth right. It took his mind off Maddie for the time being.  
Another Pokémon stepped up. It had ground around it-was that possible?!  
"The footprint is, uh, Diglett's!" he yelled.  
"Darn it Mathew," Diglett said, "how did you know?!"

Night came.  
Torches were lit.  
Guild members scoured the land, hunting for the missing fire-types.  
"Torkoal's gone too," Diglett had reported, "that's four fire types missing that we know."  
Mathew, Bellsprout, Sunflora and Bidoof were following the scorch paths. They were all next to each other in the end, for the paths had combined into one big blazed trail.  
"These are Slugma trails," Bellsprout announced.  
"Slugma?" Bidoof asked.  
"Pokémon made of lava. If they ever stop moving without a hot source, they'll harden."  
"Do you think they took them because they got cold?" Sunflora asked.  
Bellsprout shook his head, "they live in Mt. Magma, where it's hot enough to keep the slowest Slugma cool. Unless something happened…"  
The trail did lead to Mt. Magma.  
"we're out of luck," Bellsprout said, "most of us are Grass-types, and in that fiery nightmare?"  
Mathew thought for a minute. If their fire-types were missing, weren't all? He clenched his fist.  
"There is no way I came all this way just to give up at the base of a mountain. We're going up, and not coming down without our fire."

The mountain trail lead around, over, even through lava pools.  
Fire types were all around normally, but there wasn't another soul as they made their way up the mountain.  
"That's weird," Bellsprout said, "this place is usually crawling with Slugma!"  
"They must be out," Sunflora said, "like, thank gosh for us."  
"This place is cooler, too," Bellsprout said, laying a leaf on the ground, "last time I came, I was sweating about here." "Something's wrong," Mathew said, "no fire types anywhere within a mile span, a cool fire mountain-"  
"hardened magma pools," Bidoof noted, glancing to a small one.  
Bellsprout nodded, "their edges have hardened."  
"I hope is doesn't get too cold," Bidoof said, "we'll have Slugma all over, yup yup!"  
Finally, they reached the top.  
It was a huge dome made of basalt, with one entrance that leaked heat waves.  
"I'm warning you now," Bellsprout said, stepping in front, "there's a huge platform made of flaming coals in there. If you touch them, it leaves permanent burns."  
"Got it," Sunflora nodded, "let's head in."

They gasped.  
The place was perfectly smooth, not a stone out of place. A huge platform was in the center, flaming rocks all around alight with dancing fire.  
That wasn't the strange part.  
Every fire type, from Torkoal to Ponyta to Hondour to one elderly Blaziken, was scattered on the platform.  
Mathew spotted Maddie instantly. She was curled up, her scarf flapping with the fire but staying unburned, and looked asleep.  
Slugma were moving around the platform, tending to the fire types.  
"They're all so peaceful, laying there," Bidoof said. It was true. They were just snoozing away like nothing was going on!  
A lone Magcargo was pacing-well, moving-the length of the cave, to one end, over the platform, to the other.  
"Excuse us!" Bellsprout yelled.  
The lava snail looked over.  
"Why in the name of heck did you steal our fire-types?!" the little grass-type demanded.  
The fire snail sighed. He went over to them.  
"I'm very, very sorry," he moaned, "I know you're here for your fire friends. I know I look like a criminal. But we need them!"  
"Why would you need them?!" Mathew demanded.  
"The mountain," he groaned, "it's cooling."  
"I knew it," Bellsprout said, snapping its leaf.  
"I am Mortar," the Magcargo introduced, "the leader of the Slugma, Hondour and many other fire-types. This mountain is our home, and it's cooling. We don't know why. If it freezes, or even becomes reasonably cold, the world will be out of balance. Cold weather will spread all around. The same if Mt. Ice were to melt."  
"Okay, why not use your own Slugma?" Sunflora pressed.  
"It would not be enough," Mortar sobbed, "the Growlithe, the Hondour, the Vulpix gave themselves up to keep the platform warm, but it only slowed the cold. So we used any fire-type we could find. We used Treasure Town's and the other dungeons. Any fire type who knew of it came. We have fire-types for miles around, and it's still not enough! Even with my own Slugma, too cold!"  
"Tragic," Bidoof sniffed.  
Bellsprout jerked up. "I have an idea!" he yelled.  
"What? We can't use more fire types," Mathew said.  
"Whoever said we needed the Pokémon only…?"

Maddie was woken up by being shaken.  
"No, hold my order on the fries," she muttered.  
"Again?! That's the twentieth sleep talker!"  
She stood up.  
"What the heck-how did we get here?!" she asked.  
"Long story short, you were kidnapped to prevent an ice storm," Mathew summarized.  
"What?!"  
"Listen, you can use Ember, right?" he asked.  
She nodded, noticing a lot of fire types stirring around her.  
"Why?" she asked, "can't you ask one of them?"  
"We need all of you too," Bellsprout of Team Flame explained, "If we use it on that rock there, we can heat it enough to be maintained by just a few Slugma!"  
"Alright," she shrugged, "I'll ask later. Is everyone ready?"  
"Sure thing," Ponyta snorted, pawing the ground.  
"On three," a Magcargo said from the rock.  
"One…"  
A Quilava's spikes flared and a Vulpix stretched its tails.  
"Two…"  
The Blaziken inhaled and ignited his wrists while the Torkoal started to smoke.  
"Three!"  
With a huge combination of Embers, Flamethrowers, Blast Burns, Will-O-Whisps, and Overheats, the fire types shot the rock.  
The fires roared, cinders started crackling again, the stone turned from speckled red to bright orange.  
Bidoof, Mathew, Sunflora and Bellsprout yelped and ran out. The heat was overwhelming to any other type. Even a water-type would sweat here.  
The Slugma started bustling around eagerly, desperate to heat every last pebble.  
It wasn't enough. The rock was starting to cool again.  
There needed to be one more blaze!  
Maddie was struck with a new move. She stopped using Ember, her fangs starting to cloak themselves with fire. She lunged, chomping the stone.  
A flash emanated through the room.  
The Slugma cheered.  
Outside, the pools were bubbling again, and stopped cooling. The path radiated a gentle heat, weaving around any tiredness in any feet.  
Smoke turned to heat. The Slugma gathered on the rock, eager to re-heat their near hardened bodies.  
Maddie rubbed her jaw, the new move Fire Fang in her learn set instead of Smoke Screen.

"Gosh it's hot there!" Mathew shuddered on the way back.  
"I'm glad for this move," Maddie said, smiling and rubbing her sore fangs.  
After the platform was heated again, Team Flare went off to inspect the mountain, checking to make sure the place was truly hot again. Sunflora and Bidoof went off to get the others, leaving him and her to walk home, alone.  
Something hissed behind them.  
They whipped around, just in time to see a leaving Slugma disappear over the hill.  
He left behind a small package.  
"What do we have here?" Mathew asked, unwrapping it.  
A note was attached:  
_Gift for Explore_  
three identical disks were inside. They glinted silver, a steel-type move TM.  
"Aw," Maddie cooed, holding up one, "a little payment. What's in it?"  
"The one move all three of our team can learn," Mathew smiled.  
"What move?"  
"Iron Tail."


	9. On the Subject of Apples

**Chapter 8: On the Subject of Apples…**

"Boy am I hungry!" Koffing moaned.  
"Same here," Zubat grunted, hanging from the ceiling.  
Skuntank was scowling. All that hunting, just for another team to find that stupid Charmander first?! He will get vengeance…  
"I have an idea," he said to his complaining team mates.  
"What boss?" Koffing puffed.  
"Listen," Skuntank commanded, "here's what we're going to do…"

"EX-PLORE!" Chatot squawked.  
Maddie poked her head from the upper floor, "yes sir?"  
"Come down here!" Chatot chirped, "I have a special mission for you three!"  
"Be right there!" she answered, swinging down with Mathew and Dusk right behind.  
Dusk's leg was fully healed, and he was ready for some action. "Do you know how hard it is to slice using a blade on your head?" he would complain after squirting another orange into his eye.  
"Last night, someone ate all the perfect apples!" Chatot said. "I'm not pointing any feathers, but if Guild Master Wigglytuff doesn't get an apple at dinner tonight, well…uh…well…"  
"…well what?" Mathew pressed.  
"Well, uh…" Chatot was visibly shaking now. "Yea! That's what would happen!" he finished.  
"Alright," Dusk shrugged, "I didn't get any of that."  
"Ditto," Maddie huffed, "but we can do it. Where does one find a perfect apple?"

"You have blood on your mouth again," Mathew said.  
"Sorry," Maddie said, wiping off her victim's juices.  
Apple Woods was swarming with bugs, plants, and the occasional poison type. Dusk remembered the instructions best, so he was leading.  
"I'm starting to think this Fire Fang is inconvenient," she grunted, "what on earth are on those things? I don't think many bacteria can be destroyed via fire, and-"  
"Shh!" Dusk hushed, "executor at 12:00!"  
They crouched in the undergrowth as a large, palm-tree like monster trudged by. Its three heads were looking around warily, and one spotted them.  
"Alright, I'll handle this one," Mathew whispered.  
He leapt out of their hiding spot with a yell and Quick Attacked the beast. His speed let him slip between its feet as it tried to stomp, attacking from the back with the rebound.  
Another failed stomp, Matt sprang off a tree.  
The Exeggutor thought there was more than one, and started stumbling about. Matt tripped it with an iron tail.  
"TIM-BURR!" Maddie yelled as the Exeggutor crashed into the plants.  
"I admire you and everything you stand for," Maddie said, dusting herself.

"How many apples can you stuff into a bag?" Dusk grunted, shoving another fruit into the exploration bag. This was at least their twentieth one.  
"I don't know, if a wood chuck could chuck wood how much wood would it chuck?"  
"What?"  
"Tongue twister. How much further?"  
"Roughly five floors," Dusk reported, closing the bulging bag and swinging it around his neck.  
"That's a strange thing," Mathew said, "why do we call it floors?"  
"Because we find stairs that lead up," Maddie answered.  
"Well yea, but how come this place is flat from overhead, without any stacked trees or anything?"  
"Good question," Maddie scratched her chin and looked at the sky.  
"It might be a teleportation device so well-engraved it just feels like going up," Dusk suggested.  
"There's a good idea," Mathew said.  
Suddenly, the three heard a click as they entered a forest clearing.  
"BEE!"  
At least twenty Beedrill suddenly sprung from the bushes.  
"GAH!" Maddie exclaimed, swatting a smaller one away, "WHAT IN THE NAME OF MOO MOO MILK IS THIS?!"  
"MONSTER HOUSE!" Dusk answered, Iron Tailing another, "A LARGE GROUP OF POKEMON THAT AMBUSH! WE NEED TO DEFEAT THEM!"  
"ALL OF THEM?!" Mathew gasped, iron tailing.  
"ALL OF THEM!"  
"LET'S DO THIS!" Maddie gritted.  
Five rushed up to them. A pound, scratch, and quick attack took care of them.  
Three were on Dusk faster than you could say 'disaster', all taken down by a swung iron tail.  
"That's a great idea!" Maddie said, mimicking her partner.  
"THEY'RE PART BUG!" Mathew warned, "TYPE DISADVANTAGE!"  
"TOO LATE!" she said. The bees had swarmed her.  
"I'll distract them!" Mathew said, "Use a razor wind!"  
"Got it!" Dusk grunted, whipping up a whirlwind.  
He used his Quick Attack maneuver, weaving in between the bees to distract them.  
"THANKS, DUDE!" Maddie said gleefully, using a flame burst to knock his pursers.  
Dusk fired his razor wind at the others, blowing them away.  
But he missed one.  
"Oh no!" she gasped.  
The last Beedrill stung Mathew with the last of its strength, fainting on the spot.  
Mathew collapsed with poison.  
"No Treeko is going to die on my watch," Maddie spat. "Dusk, throw me one of those Pechas."  
He sliced one off the tree and threw it to her.  
She split it, squeezing the juice into his sting wound.  
"Aren't you supposed to eat it?" Dusk asked.  
"Yes, but this works if he can't ingest it."  
"For a girl afraid of blood, you sure know a bit about medics."  
"It's a blessing and a curse," she muttered as Mathew woke up.

"We need to get over you rushing into battle," Mathew scolded as they headed off after a Butterfree encounter.  
"I can't help it," she sighed, "I like to fight. It's a sport, you know."  
"It is?"  
"One comes out victorious, crushing the other beneath their feet. Of course it's a sport," Dusk explained.  
"Well, when you put it that way," Mathew shrugged, "I guess it is. Now how many floors?"  
"Three," Dusk said.  
"I hear those apples are shiny enough to reflect the ugliest Feebas," Maddie said.  
"I hear they're bigger that a Munchlax's stomach," Mathew added.  
"I hear they can make world peace," Dusk joked.  
"What is the definition of World Peace?" Maddie wondered, "would there be no arguments, no sarcasm, no battling?" "Probably no battling," Mathew replied.  
"I hope they don't make world peace," she shuddered.

"Holy miltank, they are perfect!"  
The largest tree in apple woods was before them, full of shining, beautiful, perfect apples.  
"Great!" Mathew said, "We just pick these, head out of the woods and-"  
"SURPRISE!"  
Team Skull jumped out of the tree, knocking Team Explore back.  
"What the heck are you guys doing here?!" Maddie demanded.  
"Oh," Skuntank said, "besides having a glorious apple feast last night, disturbing a Beedrill swarm into a monster house, and battling wimps? Nothing."  
"So it was you!" Mathew crouched, glaring angrily.  
"Of course!" Koffing puffed, "who else?"  
"I'm going to get you for this," Maddie formed a Flame Burst in her throat.  
The two teams went at each other.  
"NOXIOUS GAS COMBO!" Koffing and Skuntank announced.  
"WHAT?"  
The two smelly Pokémon combined a toxic fume and sprayed it in all directions. Explore was knocked out.  
"Now, for the glory of taking these apples…"

"About that," Mathew gritted his teeth.  
Chatot had asked them about the mission as they entered, obviously stressed about…whatever Wigglytuff was going to do. "What? What happened?" Chatot pressed.  
"We…didn't…get…any…apples," Maddie gasped like the words were thorns.  
Chatot grew angry. "One mission," he squawked, "YOU COULDN'T GET ONE MISSION RIGHT?!"  
Maddie was about to say something, but he continued, "You three are coming with me to report this to the Guild master! Yes! That seems like a suitable punishment!"  
"Okay, now I'm nervous," Mathew said.  
The four Pokémon entered Wigglytuff's room.  
"I'll do the talking," Dusk said.  
He stepped over to Wigglytuff. "Guild master Wigglytuff," he started, "I understand that you are very upset about not having your nightly perfect apple. And I understand your anger at the fact that we returned non victorious from our mission, our one and only important mission. My team and I are willing to-"  
"No apples?" Wigglytuff asked blandly.  
"No," Dusk confessed, "no apples."  
"But…but…but," Wigglytuff was close to tears.  
"Oh please don't cry, sir," Dusk pleaded, "I know it's upsetting, and I know you're famished, sir, but-"  
"WHY U BRING NO APPLES BACK?!" Wigglytuff cried.  
The rooms started to shake.  
"TIM-BURR AGAIN!" Maddie yelled, covering her head.  
Suddenly, the door flung open.  
"We have perfect apples!" Zubat announced.

"Jeez, there's hungry, and then there's THIS hungry," Mathew moaned. Instead of facing the wrath of Wigglytuff, Team Explore was sent to bed without food.  
"Tell me about-wait!" Maddie bolted upright, "don't you guys remember in the woods, with all the apples-"  
"The apples!" Dusk finished, fishing in the bag.  
He pulled out two for each of them.  
"Thank you, Apple Woods!" Mathew cheered, swallowing one whole.  
"Dude! You did it!" Maddie said.  
"My throat hurts incredibly bad right now-yes! Yes I did!" he said.  
"I'm going to try it," Dusk smiled.  
He swallowed a whole apple.  
"You Absol and your giant stomachs," Maddie chuckled.

** No one was thinking that when your team goes without dinner? YOU HAVE APPLES IN THE BAG! IN THE BAG!**


	10. Multi-Mission Montoge

**Chapter 9: Multi-Mission Montage**

"-AND THREE! SMILES GO FOR MILES!" the guild cheered.  
"Alright, let's get to work!" Chatot squawked.  
"HORRAY!"  
"Whatever," Skuntank muttered, heading off to do whatever Team Skull does.  
"Well," Maddie said, "Let's just check the mission boards-"  
"Oh, Team Explore?" Chatot chirped.  
"Yes?" Mathew asked. Another mission, hopefully…  
"I just wanted to say, don't get your hopes up for going on the exhibition," Chatot put.  
"W-what?!" he stammered.  
"With that failed apple mission, Wigglytuff probably won't pick you," Chatot said. "Just saying."  
He hopped off to Wigglytuff.  
"That's depressing," Dusk hissed under his breath.  
"Elementary, my dear Dusk," Maddie quoted, running up the ladder to the board.  
"And what does that mean?" Mathew sighed.  
"No one ever said we needed to do one at a time…"

Beach Cave

"Why did we start in this place?" Maddie asked.  
"It's a warm-up," Mathew explained.  
She was socking a criminal Machop over and over while she was saying this, "I mean really, I could clear this place in my sleep!"

Brine Cave

"I LEVELED UP!" Mathew exclaimed joyously, fist pumping.  
"Awesome, bro!" Maddie commented. Meanwhile, in the next room...  
"Do you feel lucky, pig?" Dusk asked, looming over the Primeape they were chasing.

Amp Plains

"I'M SI-NING IN THE RAIN," their client Pachirisu sang, skipping in the thunderstorm, "JUST SI-NING IN THE RAIN, WHAT a GLO-RIOUS FEE-LING, HEY!"  
"How much longer do we need to withstand this?!" Maddie muttered.  
"MONSTER HOUSE!" Mathew yelled, Mega Draining an approaching Shinx.

Oran Forest

"I have found a new hatred of Starly," Dusk growled after defeating the last of them over the grand prize of one, Silver Gummy.  
"I mean really," Maddie complained, "why not just buy another?"  
"These things cost 800 poke," Mathew said.  
"Well, let's get the regal gift back to the guild now, eh?" she said.

Apple Woods

"Apples to apples," she said, comparing two.  
"Just put them in the basket already!" Mathew whined.  
"Fine," she said, dropping them into the wicker container for Chansey.  
"I have had an epiphany!" Dusk announced.  
"What?"  
He then stuck his horn into the tree and shook it violently.

Guild

Loudred looked around outside the tent.  
It was almost dinner, and Explore still wasn't back!  
Finally, a very bedraggled team collapsed in front of him.  
"Good to see you too," Loudred said.  
"I can't believe we lived through two monster houses and a boss," Mathew coughed.  
"In the same fudgin' dungeon," Maddie wheezed.  
"Are you two coming in for dinner or what?!" Loudred yelled.  
"Be right there," Mathew said, almost falling down the ladder.

"Let me get this straight," Sunflora said, "you did like, four dungeons in like, one day?!"  
"That is physically impossible!" Loudred hollered.  
"Rest in peace, laws of physics," Maddie said, "we did!"  
"HOW?!" Bidoof asked.  
"Five apples, three Orans, a reviver seed, and twenty missions," Mathew answered.  
"I'm sure we'll get picked now!"  
"I hope we don't keep this up," Dusk said, "or we're going to run out of missions."  
"No, we'll run out of daylight first," Maddie corrected.  
"Well he-llo," an all-to-familiar voice greeted.  
"Hello, Skuntank," Mathew said grudgingly.  
"I sure hope you're all rested up for the exhibition you're NOT going on," he added.  
"have you been stalking us again?" Dusk glared at him.  
"No," Skuntank answered crossly, "no I have not!"  
"It'll take a while to rest up from the TWENTY MISSIONS we had to do today," Maddie bragged.  
"Oh really?" Skuntank lifted an eyebrow. "We'll need to hit the sack early, too. We did THIRTY."  
"No way."  
"Believe it, chickens," Zubat snickered.  
"That would be the reason you missed the lovely supper tonight," Dusk stated, looking him in the eye.  
"Oh was it?" Koffing puffed. "I hope there was Oran berries, and Pecha berries, and Mango berries-"  
"SHUT UP, IDIOT," Zubat slapped him.  
He spun in the air and bumped into Chatot on the way out of Guildmaster's office.

"There is no way they could do thirty missions," Mathew said as he crawled into bed.  
"Well, they don't have any evidence, don't they?" she answered, slithering under the sheets.  
"They might have just made it up," Dusk said, pawing the sheets.  
"The announcement's tomorrow," Mathew said, "we ought to get our sleep, in case we do go."  
"'night," Maddie yawned.  
"Goodnight."  
"Sweet dreams," Dusk wished.

**I apologize for the short chapter. It wasn't meant to be long, just a quick peek at the multiple missions done that day. Next day is going to be much longer…**

**I'll use the empty space for their stats!**

**Maddie (Charmander)  
gender: female  
origin: Ursal region, unknown town  
Ability: Blaze  
Moves  
Fire Fang  
Dragon Rage  
Flame Burst  
Iron Tail**

**Mathew (Treeko)  
Gender: male  
Origin: PMD region, Evergrowth Forest  
Ability: Overgrow  
Moves  
Mega Drain  
Quick Attack  
Pursuit  
Iron Tail**

**Dusk (Absol)  
gender: male  
Origin: PMD region, unknown dungeon  
Ability: Pressure  
Moves  
Bite  
Razor Wind  
Slash  
Iron Tail**


	11. Absolite

**Chapter 10: Absolite**

"Now, for the moment you've all been waiting for!" Chatot squawked, "Who will be going on the Exhibition!"  
The guild chattered excitably.  
"Here's hoping we go," Maddie said, crossing her claws.  
Mathew did the same.  
"Darn it," Dusk cursed at the fact that he didn't have anything to cross.  
Chatot was handed a sheet from Wigglytuff.  
"If your name is read off the sheet, please step over to here!" he explained. "First up," he paused to read the script, "Loudred!"  
"Yes!" Loudred whooped, stepping to Chatot.  
"Of course, it's simply NATURAL that I would go!" he said. Maddie rolled her eyes.  
"Next up…Sunflora!" Chatot squawked.  
"Oh, goodie!" she shrieked, making no haste to be next to Loudred.  
"Also coming with us…Team Skull!" Chatot said.  
"Chaw-haw-haw," Skuntank chuckled as he went with his team.  
"As well as," Chatot squinted his eyes, "Corphish, Diglett, and Bidoof!"  
"By golly," the little rodent gushed, "my legs can't move!"  
"Okay then," Chatot said. "Darn this script-Dugtrio, Croagunk, and Chimecho!"  
Chimecho let out a pleased cry, floating over.  
"That's everyone but us," Mathew sighed, "and when we worked so hard yesterday-"  
"oh!? Team Explore too?!" Chatot squawked in confusion.  
"What?"  
"Us?"  
"Wigglytuff, we're leaving the guild completely empty?!" Chatot tweeted.  
"Of course!" Wigglytuff gigled, "We'll lock up properly, and it'll be so much fun! Altogether, laughing, exploring, having fun!" "Okay then," Chatot said hesitantly, sweat dropping, "the chosen teams-that is, everyone-will have one day to prepare and finish any extra missions. Let's do it!"  
"YEA!" the Guild cheered.  
Skull muttered under their breath.

"Why this one, Dusk?" Maddie asked.  
"It just felt right," he answered.  
They were at Drenched Bluff, on a mission to take down a criminal Cradily who had overrun a shop.  
"I can't believe we actually get to go!" Mathew said with shiny eyes.  
"No kidding, right!" Maddie said, dodging a dripping rock. "Thank you, Wigglytuff!"

Team Explore stood before the store, Quagsire's Stone Shop. The place was in a section of cave off the path in the dungeon.  
Quagsire collected evolution stones and the like, then sold them here.  
"Question is, why would a Cradily want it?" Mathew thought.  
They opened the door to a complete mess. The stones, rocks, and whatever other mineral for sale were all over the place, one unfortunate fire stone's remains all over the floor. There were more whip marks and chipped away rock shelves, and the place was dripping.  
"You don't think it could be-"Maddie whispered, being cut off by an evil laugh.  
They whipped around to see the outlaw Cradily blocking the door.  
"Yes, Team Deslore!" the Cradily laughed, "it is I, Tentounus! And this is my kingdom!"  
"I second that!" Mathew said, flying at him with a sense of de ja vu.  
Instead of a successful attack, like last time, Tentounus spat an acid attack, hitting Mathew square in the face.  
"ACK!" he exclaimed, wiping off the poison.  
"We have some new tricks, too!" Maddie said, biting with a fire fang.  
It hurt the rock-grass type with average damage. He wrapped his tentacles around her, his suction cups ability proving useful.  
Dusk slashed them away, freeing her jaws for another attack.  
Mathew was back in, and used a Mega Drain.  
Tentounus screeched and fainted.

"Enough trouble you've caused," Mathew grunted as he threw him to Magnezone.  
"Oh thank you very much!" Quagsire said, clapping his fins together.  
"Don't think of it, sir," Maddie said, sweeping the fire stone away.  
"I'm afraid that bandit stole my poke," he said sorrowfully, "but I do have this…"  
He placed a black band in front of them.  
It was made of shining obsidian with a round, three-colored stone as a centerpiece. A small pearl was on both sides of the stone. The black mineral let off a harmonic ping as it touched the floor.  
Dusk let out a slight gasp.  
"Whoa," Mathew said, picking it up delicately.  
"Do you know what it is?" Maddie asked Quagsire.  
"Of course!" he answered, "a collar with Absolite!"

The band fit around Dusk's neck perfectly.  
"The universe must be on our side," Maddie concluded after a thorough bag check, "we've got more than enough Oran berries for the trip, apples, gummies, a bit of spare poke, even a few extra scarves for bandages."  
"Good thing those pile up a lot, huh?" Mathew said to Kangaskhan.  
"Tell me about it!" she gasped, "I was going to need another crate, hadn't this exhibition come around!"  
"The guild upgraded our bag," Maddie noted, sticking her head into the leather pouch.  
"Let's fill it halfway," Mathew said, "in case we find anything good."  
"Like what?"  
"Oh," Dusk said, "treasure chests, jewelry, iron thorns, gravel rocks, poison barbs, TMs, even more scarves, a fairly large list of edible material, shall I go on?"  
"No thanks," Maddie and Mathew said at once.  
He chuckled.

_ Crunch munch stuffle slurp crunch munch stuffle slurp crunch munch stuffle slurp!_  
"OM NOM NOM," Maddie said, taking unnecessarily small bites out of the apple.  
Mathew was eating a bowl of gummies with a spoon, when Bidoof walked in.  
"There is no way that he is over level ten," he said with his mouth full, spoon in the bowl.  
"Boy, leveling up is fun!" Bidoof squeaked. "I got to level twenty easy!"  
Mathew spat out the chewed gummies.

"I can't wait any longer for tomorrow!" Maddie shrieked, jumping on the bed.  
"Watch it; don't want to set the bed on fire," Dusk advised.  
"I can't help it," she shrugged, landing with a soft plop.  
"I feel your excitement," Mathew said. "Think of it! We could get treasure, explore new places where no guild has set foot, and maybe even find new recruits!"  
"Far as I know," Dusk said, "we head to Mt. Horn, a huge spike of a mountain. Afterwards we go southeast to Foggy Forest, setting up camp in the little wedge between it and Steam Cave. We'll assend Fogbound Lake via Steam Cave and find out what's there."  
"Sounds like a buck load of rock types," Maddie sniffed.  
"Actually, the main type there is bug," Mathew corrected. "Foggy Forest has normal, but I've never been to Steam Cave." "Nor has I," Dusk added.  
"You know me; I've never heard of the place," Maddie said, whipping out the wonder map and tracing the path to it.  
"We need to be careful," Mathew advised, "there's another path at each side dungeon. Taking them will take longer to get there."  
"Got it," Maddie said, glancing at the extra paths on the map.  
"Likelihood is we'll be stuck with one of the others," Mathew chuckled.

"What a nice day for an exhibition, yup yup!"  
Team Explore was traveling with Bidoof for the trip.  
"Alright Bidoof," Maddie said, waving a claw in the air, "here in Explore we have a few rules."  
"Fire away," Bidoof said, swatting away a twig.  
"One," Maddie listed, "stay on the path. Spear Pillar knows what the heck is out there, and it is the safest path."  
"Okay," Bidoof nodded.  
"Two," she said, "take an Oran in emergency. We only have a few Reviver Seeds, and Orans are overall cheaper."  
"Okay!" Bidoof jumped over a log.  
"Three: in the eve-MONSTER HOUSE!" she called, as a swarm of wild Pokémon jumped out.  
"OKAY!" Bidoof giggled, tackling a few.  
Maddie snatched a Voltorb, yelled "batter up!" and threw it to Mathew.  
He didn't know what that meant, probably some human thing, but swatted it with an Iron Tail anyway.  
"Home run, Dusk!" she called, dragon raging a quickly approaching, enraged Tauros.  
"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about!" Dusk said, slashing with her.

"This is the worst day of my life," Zubat grumbled.  
Team Skull was taking Loudred to the camp.  
And trying to keep their sanity on the way.  
He kept talking and talking and TALKING AND TALKING and talking-  
"Be quiet or the wild Pokémon will get us!" Skuntank hissed.  
"I am perfectly capable of battling them myself!" Loudred yelled. "Hey, there was that one time when I met a Butterfree in a dungeon-"  
He kept yammering on and on.  
"At least he's better than that stupid gopher," Koffing huffed.  
"I'm itching for something nasty, boss," Zubat whispered under the cover of Loudred.  
Skuntank had a suspicious smirk on his face. "You know those wimps, right?" he said.  
"Yea, who doesn't?" Koffing said.  
"This trip would be an excellent excuse to get them out of the way!" he said.  
"Why?" Zubat asked. "They don't bother us that badly, their fun to tease-"  
"Don't you see, idiot?!" Skuntank spat. "They're no fun to tease anymore, not with that Absol of theirs. They're rising to fame quicker than we are. They're a threat. Plus, if not for our noxious gas combo, they have a fairly good chance of beating us. And with a Mega Absol's wings to flap away the gas…"  
"Oh, I see," Zubat nodded, a bob of flight.  
"We can defeat them with poison," he snickered, "and leave them to rot on this smoking rock we're going to."


End file.
